Category: Hope
The Art of Story: Offering Hope in This Weary World
Earlier this week, I woke around 3:30 am and no matter what I tried, I simply couldn’t go back to sleep. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. I often have trouble either falling asleep or waking too early. The burden of being a light sleeper has plagued me since my nights…
Comments Off on A Right Time for Everything Under Heaven
A Right Time for Everything Under Heaven
Even though I’m anxious to rototill the garden as soon as warm days arrive, I force myself to wait. Patience is a must this time of year. Tender plants wilted in the frost have taught me a hard lesson. There’s a right time for everything under heaven and gardening in…
Beauty Found Within the Ashes
Life is so full of confusing contrasts. Isn’t it odd how often unexpected beauty is found within the ashes? Its boldness brightens our day and pushes away worries that threaten to weigh us down. Out of the darkness, beauty offers hope within a world blanketed in sorrow. During my recent…
Living Hope: Faith in Action
Do you sometimes leave worship services with more questions than when you entered? I know I do. Since this past Sunday, I’ve wrestled with Pastor Doug’s sermon. His message spoke of living hope which is not a new term for me. According to the Bible, Jesus is our living hope.…
Embracing Hope Despite the Soul Pains of Life
Here you are again blindsided by pain. Just when you thought the rollercoaster of life was on level ground, your world has been turned upside down by grief once more. I’m not writing about physical pain but soul pain–the kind that squeezes your heart and steals your breath. There are…
Comments Off on Look Around You: Winter is Over!
Look Around You: Winter is Over!
Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world’s a choir-and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet arpeggios, Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Song of Solomon 2:11-13…
Comments Off on Hope: An Unwavering Anchor for the Soul
Hope: An Unwavering Anchor for the Soul
If faith is confident assurance in the present then hope is eager anticipation for what’s to come. Hope keeps us going. It holds us together when we’re falling apart and mends our wounds through its power. Hope provides an unwavering anchor for the soul. But where do we look for…
Comments Off on Grace Notes: A Melody of Hope
Grace Notes: A Melody of Hope
In a world full of difficulty, we all need a little grace. Grace presents itself in various forms. This word represents elegance, virtue and moral strength. Some say ‘grace’ before a meal. Others grace us with their presence. At times, a grace period offers a reprieve before a bill is…
Comments Off on A Light to Shine
A Light to Shine
Everyone carries within them a light to shine, a melody to sing, or a gift to bestow upon the world. Everyone. Whether we recognize it or not, each human being bears God-given abilities unique just to them. Think for a moment. What if all those talents developed with the goal…
Comments Off on Lift Up Your Eyes to A Heavenly Vista
Lift Up Your Eyes to A Heavenly Vista
I was born and raised in the Midwest. We have a few hills in southern Indiana though the area where I live is primarily flat. So when I traveled this last week to visit my new grandson in eastern Tennessee, my legs weren’t used to the terrain. We seemed to…
Comments Off on A Message of Hope and Light
A Message of Hope and Light
Life is all about perspective. The lens through which I see the world determines my focus. If I limit my vision to only human viewpoints then I open myself up to despair. Earthly messages leave me feeling depressed and overwhelmed. But heavenly heralds point to a deeper reality. Beneath this…
Comments Off on A Letter to God for Such a Time as This
A Letter to God for Such a Time as This
Dear God…I try to be brave to encourage others but it’s not easy. I try to write words of hope but somedays they just don’t come. Can I give myself permission to feel discouraged…to feel disappointed with the current situation? My sister remains in hospice at home with cancer and…
Comments Off on Spring is on the Way
Spring is on the Way
Every year during the month of March, I find myself struggling. In Indiana, the last vestiges of winter seem to drag on and on. Though if I look closely, I see signs of change popping up everywhere. While robins search for tasty earthworms, lemon colored daffodils push up through the…
Comments Off on Resilient People: Weathering the Storm
Resilient People: Weathering the Storm
How do we stay resilient within this present storm? Everyday we hear something new with the Covid 19 virus. Fear abounds. Many are struggling with the sheer uncertainty of our times. But resilient people move forward through it. What is their secret? Adjust Your Sails for the Wind The wind…
Comments Off on Miracles Evolve Daily
Miracles Evolve Daily
Miracles evolve daily yet we don’t often recognize their significance. Every morning the sun rises then sets again in the evening. We count on it’s regularity. By the light of it’s rays, flowers emerge from seed in the ground while busy bees produce delectable honey through collecting its pollen and…
